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Moon lauds Bush for stronger ROK-US alliance

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Former U.S. President George W. Bush delivers his eulogy for the late President Roh Moo-hyun during a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of Roh's death at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Bush, who had served as U.S. president when Roh was in office, attended the memorial event to deliver a portrait he painted of Roh and pay tribute to the late president. Roh committed suicide in May 2009 amid a probe into him and his family over their allegedly accepting bribes. Korea Times photo by Jun Hye-won
Former U.S. President George W. Bush delivers his eulogy for the late President Roh Moo-hyun during a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of Roh's death at Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Bush, who had served as U.S. president when Roh was in office, attended the memorial event to deliver a portrait he painted of Roh and pay tribute to the late president. Roh committed suicide in May 2009 amid a probe into him and his family over their allegedly accepting bribes. Korea Times photo by Jun Hye-won

By Lee Min-hyung, Kim Yoo-chul

President Moon Jae-in thanked former U.S. President George W. Bush for his attendance at a memorial service to commemorate the late President Roh Moo-hyun, Thursday, saying his presence represented the strong South Korea-United States alliance.

"I express my sincere appreciation for your attendance at a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Your attendance literally represents how strong the United States-South Korea alliance is," Moon told Bush at the start of a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, according to press pool reports.

"I've heard that you will present a portrait you painted of the late President Roh. That would be a very sincere symbol of condolence for the family of the late president. It is also a good present for South Korean citizens remembering the late president," he said.

Moon's remarks came ahead of Bush's visit to Bongha Village, Roh's hometown, for the event. The President also praised Bush for his concerted efforts with Roh to ink a bilateral free trade deal and for the six-party nuclear talks during their presidencies.

"The joint projects, such as the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and six-party talks, decided on by the two former presidents, Roh and Bush, meant a lot in terms of developing the bilateral alliance in a comprehensive manner," Moon said. "I and President Trump will also see progress in making the alliance a greater one."

It was unknown whether the Moon-Bush meeting covered issues relating to North Korea and whether President Moon asked the former U.S. president to relay a message on his engagement-centric North Korean policy to Washington.

In response, Bush shared his memories of having a lunch with Roh. Unlike other leaders, Roh was straightforward in his speech and style so both sides were able to have honest and frank talks with each other, Bush said, adding this played an important role in building a good relationship between the two countries.

The former U.S. leader also paid tribute to Roh's lifetime. Bush said Roh lived a humble life by placing a top priority on the wellbeing of the public.

Bush and Roh were sometimes described as "bedfellows" while they were presidents ― Bush was the U.S. leader from 2001 to 2009 and Roh led Korea from 2002 to 2007. During this period, South Korea dispatched troops to Iraq and signed the free trade agreement with the U.S. However, Washington and Seoul relations were strained in handling the North as Bush supported a "hardline stance" toward Pyongyang, while Roh pushed an engagement policy.

After the meeting, Bush attended the ceremony where he gave a five-minute eulogy and delivered the portrait to former first lady Kwon Yang-sook.

Ten years ago, Roh committed suicide by leaping to his death from a cliff behind his house. He was 62, and ended his life allegedly because of an investigation into a bribery scandal involving his family members, that severely tarnished his reputation.

Senior Cheong Wa Dae officials attended the event, but lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party including party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn failed to appear.

Roh is widely remembered as going to great lengths to dispel the country's "authoritarian legacy" and instill democratic values. But his economic policies failed to stabilize property prices and cut economic polarization, which resulted in him losing his political support base.?


Kim Yoo-chul yckim@koreatimes.co.kr
Lee Min-hyung mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr


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